In Celebration of the Life of

Mary Anne Stedman Howell December 31, 1919 - June 5, 2017 A Celebration of the Life of Mary Anne Stedman Howell Friday, June 9, 2017 11:00 a.m. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Beaumont, Texas

Organ Prelude “Blessed Are Ye Faithful Souls” Brahms

Processional Hymn 680 “O God, Our Help in Ages Past” St. Anne

Solemn Anthems (please stand)

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though this body be destroyed, yet shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself and mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For if we live, we live unto the Lord; and if we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labors.

The Celebrant says the following Collect, first saying The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Let us pray.

1 O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of thy servant Mary Anne, and grant her an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of thy saints; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

The people may be seated.

A Reading from the Book of Isaiah [61:1-3] The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion – to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

Psalm 90 (read in unison) Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to another. Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born, from age to age you are God. You turn us back to the dust and say, “Go back, O child of earth.” For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past and like a watch in the night. You sweep us away like a dream; we fade away suddenly like the grass. In the morning it is green and flourishes; in the evening it is dried up and withered. For we consume away in your displeasure; we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation. 2 Our iniquities you have set before you, and our secret sins in the light of your countenance. When you are angry, all our days are gone; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone. Who regards the power of your wrath? who rightly fears your indignation? So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

A Reading from the Book of Revelations (7:9-17) I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Reader The Word of the Lord. People Thanks be to God.

Hymn 470 (sts. 1,2) “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy” Beecher 3 The Holy Gospel: St. John (14:1-6)

Celebrant The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John. People Glory be to thee, O Lord.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” Thomas saith unto him, “Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?” Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Following the Gospel reading Celebrant The Gospel of the Lord. People Praise be to thee, O Christ.

The Homily The Reverend A. Dean Calcote

The Apostles’ Creed (please stand) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers The People, either seated or kneeling, respond to every petition with Amen. The leader says

In peace, let us pray to the Lord.

4 Almighty God, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant, we beseech thee, to thy whole Church in paradise and on earth, thy light and thy peace. Amen

Grant that all who have been baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection may die to sin and rise to newness of life, and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass with him to our joyful resurrection. Amen

Grant to us who are still in our pilgrimage, and who walk as yet by faith, that thy Holy Spirit may lead us in holiness and righteousness all our days. Amen

Grant to thy faithful people pardon and peace, that we may be cleansed from all our sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind. Amen

Grant to all who mourn a sure confidence in thy fatherly care, that, casting all their grief on thee, they may know the consolation of thy love. Amen

Give courage and faith to those who are bereaved, that they may have strength to meet the days ahead in the comfort of a reasonable and holy hope, in the joyful expectation of eternal life with those they love. Amen

Help us, we pray, in the midst of things we cannot understand, to believe and trust in the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and the resurrection to life everlasting. Amen

Grant us grace to entrust Mary Anne to thy never-failing love; receive her into the arms of thy mercy, and remember her according to the favor which thou bearest unto thy people. Amen

Grant that, increasing in knowledge and love of thee, she may go from strength to strength in the life of perfect service in thy heavenly kingdom. Amen

Grant us, with all who have died in the hope of the resurrection, to have our consummation and bliss in thy eternal and everlasting glory, 5 and, with blessed Mark, and all thy saints, to receive the crown of life which thou dost promise to all who share in the victory of thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

The Peace Celebrant The peace of the Lord be always with you. People And with thy spirit.

Anthem English Folk Song arr. Gerald Near Christ hath a garden walled around, A paradise of fruitful ground, Chosen by love and fenced by grace From out the world’s wide wilderness. Like trees of spice his servants stand, There planted by his mighty hand; By Eden’s gracious streams, that flow To feed their beauty where they grow. Awake, O wind of heaven, and bear Their sweetest perfume through the air: Stir up, O south, the boughs that bloom, Till the beloved Master come: That he may come, and linger yet Among the trees that he hath set; That he may evermore be seen To walk amid the springing green.

The Great Thanksgiving The people stand. The Celebrant faces them and says

The Lord be with you. People And with thy spirit. Celebrant Lift up your hearts. People We lift them up unto the Lord. Celebrant Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. People It is meet and right so to do.

The Text of the Eucharistic Prayer may be found in the Book of Common Prayer on page 333.

At the place appointed Celebrant and People say together Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts: Heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High. Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. 6 The Great Thanksgiving continues on page 334. The people kneel. At the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer, the Celebrant continues. Celebrant And now, as our Saviour Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say…

People and Celebrant Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread (said) Celebrant Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; People Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia.

All baptized persons are welcome to receive the sacrament.

Music During Communion “On Eagle’s Wings” Michael Joncas Nolan Thornal, Soloist

Hymns 510, 512, 620

Postcommunion Prayer (Celebrant and people together) Almighty God, we thank thee that in thy great love thou hast fed us with the spiritual food and drink of the Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, and hast given unto us a foretaste of thy heavenly banquet. Grant that this Sacrament may be unto us a comfort in affliction, and a pledge of our inheritance in that kingdom where there is no death, neither sorrow nor crying, but the fullness of joy with all thy saints; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

The Commendation (please stand)

Celebrant Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant with thy saints, People where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting. 7 The celebrant continues Thou only art immortal, the creator and maker of mankind; and we are mortal, formed of the earth, and unto earth shall we return. For so thou didst ordain when thou createdst me, saying, “Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” All we go down to the dust; yet even at the grave we make our song: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Celebrant and people Give rest, O Christ, to thy servant, with thy saints, where sorrow and pain are no more, neither sighing, but life everlasting.

The Celebrant says Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant Mary Anne. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive her into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen

Hymn 657 “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” Hyfrydol

The Committal Rest eternal grant to her, O Lord: And let light perpetual shine upon her.

May her soul, and the souls of all the departed, Through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

The Blessing

The Dismissal Celebrant Let us go forth in the name of Christ. People Thanks be to God.

Organ Postlude “Fugue in E-Flat Major” (St. Anne) J.S. Bach

8 Mary Anne Stedman Howell, 97, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 5, 2017, in the serenity of her home leaving behind her loving family who adored her so. Arriving just shy of the New Year, Mary Anne was a welcomed blessing born on December 31, 1919, to her doting parents, Mary Louise Hall and Jerry Clemmons Stedman of Beaumont. An only child, Mary Anne was a willing and eager participant to join her parents on their many extensive traveling, fishing, and boating excursions throughout her idyllic childhood. Mary Anne was a conscientious and focused student of Beaumont High School which allowed her to attend the University of Texas at Austin where she studied Elementary Education. While attending the University, Mary Anne joined the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority where her sisters assuredly elected her as their President for an unheard of two consecutive terms. Her devotion and adoration for her sorority was all the more evident in later years when she elected to design her first home on Delaware as a near replica of the Zeta house on campus. Soon after graduation Mary Anne returned to her hometown of Beaumont and caught the eye of a dashing young Naval officer, Homer Vance Howell, on the banks of the beloved Neches River at the Stedman Farm. It was here a lifelong love between Mary Anne and Homer would flourish into an unwavering romance that would last sixty glorious years filled with future generations of family, an abundance of friendships, and a lifetime of cherished memories. Although uncertain wartimes besieged the young couple, they were married in the Fall of 1942 in Beaumont surrounded by dear friends and family. As a young officer in the Navy, Homer was stationed in Corpus Christi where they soon moved and started a family of 9 their own. Kathleen “Kit” was the first of their three bright-eyed daughters; Pat and Betty soon followed in-tow once Homer and Mary Anne relocated back to Southeast Texas to rear their young children alongside their enthusiastic extended families. An avid hunter and fisherman, Homer despondently came to the realization a son was not likely in the cards for the Howell lineage; instead he would joyfully reap the immeasurable benefits of having three adoring daughters by his side until his untimely death in April of 2003. Perhaps for some a houseful of energetic young children would be enough to occupy their day; this, however, was not the case for the perpetually industrious Mary Anne. As an extraordinarily active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Neches River Festival, and the Athena Investment Group, all of where Mary Anne volunteered her time and held several prominent offices. Perhaps her greatest community accolades were serving as President of the Junior League of Beaumont and the Magnolia Garden Club, both of which she took great pride in having been elected. Mary Anne’s ability to balance an ongoing commitment to her community while masterfully maintaining her much-prized role as a devoted mother and dutiful wife was admirably uncanny. When Mary Anne wasn’t serving others “coiffed and dressed to a tee” as she always was, you could find her and Homer on the deck of their Bolivar beach house listening to the waves encircled by their children, friends, and neighbors. Or perhaps she could be found in her thoughtfully and meticulously planted garden tending to her award-winning camellias or her towering agapanthus. As the consummate host, a pending dinner party was always on the horizon which meant hours of painstaking (yet prideful) silver polishing, designing creatively orchestrated fresh floral arrangements, and properly setting the dining room table that even the likes 10 of Emily Post would envy. Whatever the task at hand, you could be assured Mary Anne generously bestowed her time and energy as a gesture of her never-ending affection and unconditional love throughout her extraordinary life. Mary Anne Stedman Howell is survived by her daughters, Kit Ohmstede of Beaumont, Pat Howell of Houston, and Betty Southerland and husband, Robb, of Austin; six grandchildren, Will Ohmstede, Jr. and wife, Sallie, of Corpus Christi, Chris Ohmstede and wife, Camille, of Beaumont, Jocelyn Johnson of Austin, Anne Henderson, and husband, Charlie, of Austin, Will Duncan of Austin, and Ashley Southerland of Austin, and eleven great-grandchildren. The family wishes to recognize with much appreciation the compassionate care and support of the dedicated medical professionals and caregivers who looked after Mary Anne these past few years: her “Guardian Angels” Linda Patterson, Kiedra Rogers, and Wanda Johnson, in addition, Dr. Jeremy Huff, Kelsey-our ray of sunshine, Neva, Crystal, and Jill of Professional Health Care and Hospice.

11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Ennichment St. Mark’s Columbarium Beaumont, Texas

Memorial Contributions All Saints Episcopal School 4108 Delaware Street Beaumont, Texas 77706 ~ Magnolia Garden Club 148 South Dowlen Road, #642 Beaumont, Texas 77707 ~ St. Mark’s Episcopal Church 680 Calder Avenue Beaumont, Texas 77701 ~ Charity of One’s Choice

Please sign Mrs. Howell’s guest book and share your memories at www.broussards1889.com